Changeable exhibitor



May 10, 1932- E. voN DER LIPPE-LlPsKl 1,857,387

CHANGEABLE EXHIBITOR Filed OCT.. 24, 1929 aucun* Patented May 10, 1932 UNITE) STATES PATENT ermee ELAINE VON DEP., LIPPE-LPSKI, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT F COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH T0 ALBERT CAYTON, OF VIAS'HINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA CHANGEABLE EXHIBITOR Application led Uetober 24, 1929. Serial No. 402,282.

My invention relates to changeable exhibitors for use in displaying signs, etc., andy is an improvement on theA device shownrand described in my prior application for patent, filed April 20, 1929, Serial No. 356,840, and

may be employed in connection withthe arrangement disclosed in a companion application tiled on even date herewith providing for changing certain portions of the sign 1o 0r picture t-o enhance the attractive effect by giving action to each of the signs or pictures exhibited.

The primary object of my present invention is to increase the number of signs or pictures to be displayed by providing a number of sign or picture carrying frames each comprising a number of triangular shaped bars or units having media faces which are successivelybrought to c'oplanar position at 2G the front of the sign or picture, with an arrangement of the frames and .operating mechanism by which they are housed and successively brought into operative position. A further object of my invention is to provide a changeable exhibitor which is especi ally adapted for use as a road sign whereby the frames carrying different series of signs may contain advertisements `of a number of different advertisers to thereby increase thev capacity of the sign board as an advertising medium.

With these principal objects in view my invention consists in a changeable exhibitor or signboard having a. plurality of changeable signs with means for bringing them from housed to exposed position and vice versa and for operating each signwhen it is in operative position at the front of the signboard; allas hereinafter described and more specifically set forth in the appended claims. In the drawings `forming a part of this speciiication Figure l is a front elevation of a changeable exhibitor signboard in accordance with my invention. y

Fig. 2 is an end view of the sign carrying frames showing the arrangement by which 50 they are successively brought in position to be exhibited through the central opening in the signboard.

Fig. 3 is a similar view enlarged showing one set of sign carrying frames and means for shifting them in rotation for exhibition purposes.

Fig. 4L is a front view of the upper portion of one of the sign carrying frames.

Fig. 5 is an end view of the rotatable bars or units carrying the advertisements, and includingthe means for rotating said bars or units. n f

Figs. 6, '7, and 8 are det-ail views of one of the pushers employed in shifting the sign carrying frames. f

In carrying out `my invention the main sign illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings is painted or otherwise` depicted on one of the media faces oi" a doubleseriesof vertically arranged bars or units l0 at opposite sides of the center of the sign, and for the purpose of increasing the capacity of the signboard each portion of the changeable sign or signs is carried in a rectangular frame 11 for bodily movement from exposed to housed p`osition, and vvice versa, and said frames. are mounted inthe signboard structure for suc-v cessive movement'to exposure and housed positions kin rotation and regular order, as here-v inafter fully explained. Inthe present in-` stancel I have shown kseven ksign carrymg framesat each side of the center of the signboard with the groups at one side cooperating with the groups at the other so that when a sign comprising two series of vertical bars or units hasbeen exposed they'may be moved in opposite directions to housed positions and a second sign of two series of bars or units including the supporting frames brought to the front of the signboard for exhibition or exposure to view. For this purpose the seven sign carrying frames are arranged in two groups side by side at opposite sides of the center of the sign board, four of each group being. normally disposed in line with the opening l2 in the signboard through which the main signs are exposed'to view in suc cession and three at the adjacent side of the structure covered by partition'l spaced from panel 14C, said last mentioned frames being at the sides of and on a line with the three of the first mentioned sign carrying frames in the rear of the exposed sign to leave a space to one side of the latter for movement thereof to housed position, it being understood that the movement of the exposed sign to housed position leaves a space at the front of the signboard for advancing the three signs in line with the opening in the signboard with the foremost thereof in exposure position and that a space is left in the rear to receive the housed sign which adjoins said space, whereby the group of signs can be brought into exposure position in rotation and the showing of the sign or exhibit repeated ad infinitum. This movement of the sign carrying frames in rotation to bring all the signs successively into exposed position is clearly illustrated in Fig. 3 from which it will be noted that when changeable sign No. 1 is moved from exposed to housed position (as indicated by dotted lines) changeable signs llos. 2, 3, and 4 are advanced leaving the space occupied by sign No. 4 vacant so that sign No. 5 can be moved into this space and signs 6, 7, and 1 moved rearwardly to leave a space in front so that sign No. 2 maybe moved to housed position, this operation being repeated for bringing the other signs into position successively, and so on.

The preferred means for moving the signs laterally and the groups forwardly and rearwardly respectively is illustrated in Fig. 3 and consists of a sprocket chain 15 passing around sprocket wheels 16 and having two pushers 18 and 19 one of which, 18, moves the sign carrying frames laterally and the other,

19, operating tol push the groups forwardly and rearwardly, said pushers engaging an upstanding pin 2O at the center of each sign carrying frame and the endless sprocket chain geared to a driving shaft'21. The longer stretches of the sprocket chain are at the front and rear ofthe groups of sign carrying frames adjacent back 22 and partition 13 of the signboard structure, and where said chain passes laterally over the frames it is spaced from the pin 2O a greater' distance than are the longer stretches of the chain, it being noted that said pins are at the inner side of the sprocket chain. The difference in spacing of the chain from the pins provides that pusher 18 will enga-ge said pins as the sprocket chain begins its travel r n n along the longer stretches and will escape said pins as it travels the shorter stretches, from which it will be noted that said pusher will only engage the pins on the sign carrying frames for moving them laterally, and in order that theother pusher may engage the pins on the sign carrying frame to move the groups forwardly and rearwardly respectively the form of pusher illustrated in Figs. 6 to 8 is employed comprising a` yielding arm 23 pivoted by pin 24 in a bracket 25 formed integrally with one of the links of the sprocket chain and actuated to normal or operative position by spring 26, with a spring actuated catch 27 pivoted to the underside of the bracket and adapted to engage a. notch 28 at one side of the inner end of the arm for holding the latter in inoperative position, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 8, the strength of the spring being such that the arm will not yield until a group of frames is moved to the limit; that is forwardly with respect to the sign carrying frames in rear of the opening in the signboard and rearwardly with respect to the frames in the rear of panel 14; for instance as illustrated in Fig. 3 when the chain travels so that frame No. 1 is moved to the right or dotted line position by pusher 18, pusher 19 being tripped by arm 29, hereinafter referred to, engages the pin 20 on sign carrying frame No. 4 pushes frames 2, 3, and 4 forwardly after which the pusher will yield by reason of the frames arriving at the limit of their movement and be held by catch 27 so that said pusher will escape the pins on sign carrying frames 3 and 2 and prevent its moving sign carrying frame llo. 2 (now in exposed position) or the place occupied formerly by sign No. 1 laterally. For releasing the catch in order that the pusher 19 or pivoted arm 23 constituting'the same may be automatically brought to operative position for successively moving the two groups of sign carrying frames tripping arms 29 project from the back 22 and partition 13 of the signboard structure and engage the tail piece 30 of the spring actuated catch, said tripping arms being positioned as shown in Fig. 3 so that said pusher arm will be brought to operative position just before its engagement with the pin on the sign carrying frame; will be noted that in the operation of the pusher 19in its engagement with the pin on the rear frame of those in line with the opening 12 to move them forwardly, and with the pin of the forward frame inthe rear of partitions 13-14 in moving these frames rearwardly, said pusher acts after the manner of a cam, the pin riding on the same as the frame moves forwardly towards the eX- posed vposition in one instance and rearwardly or housed position in the other instance.

As hereinbefore stated each frame 11 carries a vertical -series of triangular shaped bars or units 10 having media faces which are brought in a common front plane for exhibition of the several pictures by the means shown and described in my prior application for patent, consisting of ay longitudinally movable bar 31 having ratchet teeth 32'engaging pins 33 projecting from the ends of the bar or unit, said ratchet bar being actuated in one direction by spring 34 and in the other direction by a tappet wheel 35 engaging a bent arm 36 projecting from the aforementioned ratchet bar, the said triangular able anti-friction devicesI to assist their.A

m-ovement from -one position to another, when a large signboard structure is built. The panels at the sides of the main pic-- ture exposed through the opening l2 in the signboard structure may be. plain and'have signs printed thereon, b-ut I prefer to have these signs also constructed of triangular shaped bars or units having mecia sign faces, in which instance the sign carrying frames 38 are mounted in a. space between partition 13 and panel la with the latter provided with an opening 14a through which the signs are exposed, in thisinstance the triangular shaped bars or units being operated by tappet wheel 39 engaging tappet arme() projecting from a spring actuatedratchet bar such as illustrated in F ig. 5. l

From the foregoing description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of my improved changeable sign exhibitor will be readily undestood, and it will be apparent that by providing a plurality of sign carrying frames having changeable signs as described with means for bringing said frames successively into exposure position a large number of signs can be exhibited by a single structure, and that in addition to the signs which are exposed through the central opening in the signboard the changeable signs at each side thereof increase the ca.- pacity of the signboard, it being understood that with respect to thel main sign the mechanism for operating the frames constituting the same is timed to bring said frames successively into exposure position and that the mechanism for rotating the triangular shaped bars or units of each frame operates said bars when the frame is brought to Vforward position with respect to the main opening in the signboard structure. It will be understood also that the 'driving mechanism for the sprocket chain is timed to operate said sprocket chain intermittently or at intervals so that each series of signs carriedl by the frames will be exposed to view the required length of time, and that the speed of the chain time, and in this instance the operation of the springprovides for a rapid change from one media face to another. Of course the signs may be depicted in superimposed col- Vhaving an opening through which the signs are exposed, a pluralityL of ,sign carrying frames arranged in groups side by side, one of the groups having a smaller number of frames than the other, a plurality of bars having media faces mounted in each frame, and means for operating said bars to bring the mediafaces successively to front position, means for shifting the sign carrying frames laterally, and means for moving the groups of sign carrying frames forwardly and rearwardly respectively for bringing the said ,frames successively to exposure position in rotation. 1 i

2. Achangeable sign exhibitor comprising a signboard structure forming'a casing having an opening'through which the signs are exposed, a plurality of signl carrying frames arranged in groups side by side, one of the groupshaving a smaller number of frames than the other, a plurality of bars having media faces mounted in each frame, and means for operating said bars to bring the media faces vsuccessively to front position, pins projecting from the frames, and means engaging said pins for moving the frames laterally and the different groups bodily forwardly and rearwardly respectively. v

3. A changeable signr exhibitor comprising a signboardv structure forming a casing having an opening through which the signs are exposed, a plurality of sign carrying frames arranged in groups side by side, one of the groups havinga smaller number of frames than the other, a plurality of bars having media faces mounted iny each frame, and meansy for operating said bars to bring the medi faces successively to front position, pins projecting from theA frames, and a sprocket chain-engaging said pins for mofving thel frames laterally and the different groups bodily forwardly and rearwardly respectively. y,

4. A; changeable sign exhibitor comprisinga signboard structure forming a casing having an opening through which the signs are exposed, a plurality of sign carrying frames arranged in groups side by side, one of the groups having' a smaller number of frames than the other, a plurality of bars having media faces mounted inreach frame, means `for operating said bars to bring the media faces successively to front position, pins projecting from the frames, a sprocket chain operating at one endof the sign carrying frames, and pushers carried by said 1 ers on said sprocket chain engaging the pins for moving the signs laterally and-the different groups bodily forwardly and rearward- 1y respectively.

6. A chanUeable sign exhibitor comprising a signboard structure forming a casing Vhaving an opening through which the signs are exposed, a plurality of signs arranged in two groups side by side, one of the groups having a smaller number of signs than the other, pins projecting centrally from one end of each sign, a sprocket-,chain operating around the pinsV of the two groups of signs, and pushers on the sprocket chain engaging the pins for moving the signs laterally and the two groups of signs forwardly and rearwardly respectively.

7. A changeable sign exhibitor comprising a signboard structure forming a casing having an opening through which the signs are exposed, a plurality of signs arranged in two groups side by side, one of the groups having a smaller number of signs than the other,

pins projecting centrally from one end of each sign, a sprocket chain operating around the pins of the two groups of signs, and pushers on the sprocket chain engaging the pins for moving the signs laterally and the two groups of signs forwardly and rearwardly respectively, one of said pushers being yieldingly supported by the chain.

8. A changeable sign exhibitor comprising a signboard structure forming a casing having an opening through which the signs are exposed, a plurality of signs arranged in two groups side by side, one of the Vgroups having a smaller number of signs than the y other, pins projecting centrally from one end of each sign, a sprocket chain operating around the pins of the two groups of signs, and pushers onthe sprocket chain engaging the pins for moving the signs laterally and the two groups of signs forwardly and rearwardly respectively, one of said pushers being yieldingly supported by the chain; together with a catch for holding said yielding-pusher, and means for releasing the catch.

9. A changeable sign exhibitor comprising a signboard structure forming a casing having an opening through which the signs are exposed, a plurality of signs arranged in two groups side by side, one of the groups having a smaller number of signs than the'other, pins projecting centrally from one end of each sign, a sprocket chain operatingaround the pins of the two groups of signs, pushers on the sprocket chain engaging the pins for moving the signs laterally and the two groups of signs forwardly and rearwardly respectively, Ione of said pushers being yieldingly held in operative position by a spring, a catch for holding said pusher out of operative position, and means on the signboard structure for releasing said catch.

10. A changeable sign exhibitor comprising a signboard structure forming a casing having an opening through which the signs are exposed, a plurality of signs arranged in two groups at opposite sides of the center of the structure, each group having two sets of signs and the groups at one side cooperating with the groups at the other sideto form a complete picture and the two sets of signs of each group yarranged side by side with the set at one side'having a smaller number of signs than the other set for shifting said signs from one position to another in rotation, means for shifting the signs laterally, and mean for shifting the two groups bodily forwardly and rearwardly respectively to bring all the signs successively in position with respect to the opening in the signboard structure.

- ELAINE vos DER LIPPE-LIPSKI. 

